Ward Romer, crew coach extraordinaire

Ward Romer, the coach
Originally uploaded by Brite Lights photos.

ITHACA, N.Y. - Some people are easier to track down than others. I thought I had found Jim Bova yesterday, but no luck.

Ward Romer, however, was easier to spot, partly due to the high profile crew coaching he's been doing for years. Today's photo is taken from the annals of Ithaca College, where he is still coaching crewing and edging into retirement. He's got a day job, too, but I'll him tell you about that some other time.

When I emailed - to make sure it was right Ward Romer, even though the photo sure looks the Ward I remember - his first question was if there would be a 40th reunion next year.

I got to give him the good news.

Hey! Maybe we should elect him to some committee right away!

Maybe we should put him in charge.

I didn't hang out with Ward in high school, and if you look at his entry for activities, he didn't hang much at all - he was way too busy earning scholarships, debating and in a half dozen clubs. And one of the years, he played football, freshman year if my reading of the entry is correct.

I remember that Ward was a pretty smart dude (sorry, but I was talking with a couple of my undergrads a little while ago, like, you know, like ...). But one day, I got to teach Ward something. Not academic. (Remember, I went to summer school - twice.) No, it was in gym class and in order to pass some damned physical fitness test, you had to climb up on the parallel bars, swing your legs up and over, and then kind of squirm along, dismounting on the other end.

Ward was in the middle of one of those awful growth spurts most of us experienced and had put on just enough weight and height that it was awkward, so I showed him how to get his legs swinging to boost himself up. After a couple of tries, Ward was zooming across the parallel bars like Bruce Jenner and even Dick Shevalier had to smile.

Ward's email address should have landed in your email inbox earlier today if you want to drop him a line and see if he needs anybody to polish the boats at Ithaca College...

Now if I can just find Jim Bova, Jim Jackson, Jackie Ericson.... gawd ...

Today's song it another driving tune, made popular in 1964 and still gets great play on the oldies stations. Brian Wilson is 63 today, by the way.

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I Get Around
by The Beach Boys

Round round get around
I get around
Yeah
Get around round round I get around
I get around
Get around round round I get around
From town to town
Get around round round I get around
I'm a real cool head
Get around round round I get around
I'm makin' real good bread

I'm gettin' bugged driving up and down the same old strip
I gotta finda new place where the kids are hip

My buddies and me are getting real well known
Yeah, the bad guys know us and they leave us alone

I get around
Get around round round I get around
From town to town
Get around round round I get around
I'm a real cool head
Get around round round I get around
I'm makin' real good bread
Get around round round I get around
I get around
Round
Get around round round oooo
Wah wa ooo
Wah wa ooo
Wah wa ooo

We always take my car cause it's never been beat
And we've never missed yet with the girls we meet

None of the guys go steady cause it wouldn't be right
To leave their best girl home now on Saturday night

I get around
Get around round round I get around
From town to town
Get around round round I get around
I'm a real cool head
Get around round round I get around
I'm makin' real good bread
Get around round round I get around
I get around
Round
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah

Round round get around
I get around
Yeah
Get around round round I get around
Get around round round I get around
Wah wa ooo
Get around round round I get around
Oooo ooo ooo
Get around round round I get around
Ahh ooo ooo
Get around round round I get around
Ahh ooo ooo
Get around round round I get around
Ahh ooo ooo